Week 15 - 'Supermarket Sweep'

Hello everybody!

Well another week passes by and finally the weather cools down here in Hoi An, we have even had 4/5 days with rain. Whilst the cooler weather has made our livers easier in Hoi An, I feel I must mention the floods in North Vietnam which have killed at least 100 people in the last couple of days. This is just an example of how delicate the climate is here, only a short burst of rain can cause instant flooding and fatalities, and whilst the same thing happens each year, there is simply not enough money for local people to better there living conditions, or indeed change the location of home to prevent the damage from this annual weather. I'm simply waiting for the rain and floods to come here, which people tell me they inevitable will.

Ok to today's main theme, On Saturday I went to Da Nang, to meet my friend Sarah, who was out here visiting me (and seeing Vietnam). Sarah called me to say that her plane was going to be late by 2 hours, and as I was sat in the 'Big C' supermarket at the time, I decided to check out the cinema there, and ended up watching Hancock to pass the time. To the point now, I was in the supermarket to pick up some shopping supplies for Sarah's visit, and this was now the third visit I had made to this supermarket. There are some interesting observations I have made from these 3 visits to the place. Firstly, there are not so many non-Vietnamese people in this supermarket, so you invariably have peoples attention thrust upon you. Secondly are far more comical is the amount of attention you receive and the level of intrusion you feel. Let me explain... ...As I have alluded to in past blogs, there really is very little privacy here, in all levels of society. Most houses are open planned with full view into homes almost 24 hours a day, street cafes are plentiful and people ask direct questions in conversation including 'how old are you?' 'are you married?' etc etc... so me as a 'youngish' male foreigner walking around a local supermarket I found myself being observed from all angles, by shoppers, staff and kids galore! Every time I reached for an item off the shelf I could see people looking to see what I was buying! I have found some people in Vietnam just go that extra mile when it comes to being nosey, and the supermarket just provides such people with more opportunity to be so. On more than one occasion, as I passed down a random isle, the oncoming families, couples or groups of friends, would slow down, stop next to me, look in my basket, and on one occasion, actually picked up items from my basket and began discussing amongst themselves, the content of my basket!!! On another occasion, 3 staff members and a security guard watched me take 10 minutes to choose a bottle of wine, and then as if some comedy movie, all 4 leaned over in unison as I passed them on the way to paying! I think I need to start putting some really obscure items in my basket to discourage them from rooting through strangers property!!! I am now used to the different level of intrusion here in Vietnam, and am looking forward to returning to my now 'local' (1 hour bus ride away!) supermarket!

I managed to meet Sarah later that day and they'll be more of her visit in next weeks blog!

The other big news for me this week is not related to Vietnam, but I wanted to share it with you all! I wrote an article for an Occupational Therapy Magazine in the UK, the article was about my time and observations in Romania, and it was published in the OT News Magazine August Edition!

Back to Vietnam, and my training for the 40k bike ride (as part of a triathlon relay team) continues. Unfortunately it still consists of me having to get up at 0500 each morning to go cycling because it's still cool enough to cycle for over an hour... I'm up to around 27k rides, and have about 10 days left to hit hte 40k mark!! The major benefit it that I get to cycle through little local provinces that no westerners pass through, so you feel almost famous, as throughout the entire hourney, there are cries of 'hello' coming from random houses or people in fields... I have perfected a royal riding wave, that doesn't distract me too much!

I hope to return to a more tourist lifestyle this week, and hope that will bring a few more interesting tales for me to share!

Regards from Vietnam

Dan